❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses power disconnections, hardship support, and a past tragedy, prompting responses about disconnection numbers, field officer visits, hardship strategies, and compensation offers. The government is working on strategies to support vulnerable families.
AnsweredQoN 5370Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many households have had their power disconnected from August 2006 to the current date?
(2) How many of those households are still without power?
(3) Synergy is meant to have protocols whereby field officers visit people who are in hardship. Did Mr and Mrs Morris ever receive a visit from a field officer?
(4) A tragedy happened last year, where Synergy cut the power off to the Pickering family and a mother and two children were burnt to death, this latest incident could have been another tragedy. When is the Government going to implement a strategy whereby power is never cut off to people who have children in the household?
(5) Did Synergy offer the Morris family $10 000 in compensation?
(2) How many of those households are still without power?
(3) Synergy is meant to have protocols whereby field officers visit people who are in hardship. Did Mr and Mrs Morris ever receive a visit from a field officer?
(4) A tragedy happened last year, where Synergy cut the power off to the Pickering family and a mother and two children were burnt to death, this latest incident could have been another tragedy. When is the Government going to implement a strategy whereby power is never cut off to people who have children in the household?
(5) Did Synergy offer the Morris family $10 000 in compensation?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 September 2007
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Minister for Energy
Response time
28 days
(1 & 2) 6,372 premises have been disconnected for non-payment since 1 August 2006 and 606 premises remain disconnected. Of those, 293 premises have been disconnected in the previous 90 days. The majority of the premises disconnected more than 90 days are vacant and the debtors have vacated the premises and the owner has chosen not to rent the premise or it is to be demolished.
(3) In accordance with Synergy's procedures, the house was visited on multiple occasions by a field officer.
Synergy has a process which requires several communications with customers prior to a disconnection occurring. Synergy also advises that it will often visit customers several times before it disconnects, and during this process, Synergy can offer solutions to customers to enable them to remain connected and will refer customers to third party support groups who may also be able to assist customers. It is important customers engage with Synergy and discuss their circumstances, so Synergy can identify how it can assist those customers. Synergy cannot guess the situation customers are in - Synergy needs customers to communicate with them, so they can do everything possible to avoid disconnecting customers.
Synergy is one of only a few retailers in Australia which has field officers visit customers' houses to attempt to engage with customers and to understand what other action it can take to avoid disconnecting customers.
(4) The Minister has established a Government Utilities Essential Services Hardship Inter Agency Working Group to develop strategies and/or actions to improve identification of, and delivery and coordination of services to the community's most financially and socially disadvantaged families. The Working Group will be reporting back to the Minister for Energy before the end of year.
Synergy has also been reviewing its own Financial Hardship Policy, in consultation with organisations such as WACOSS, the Financial Counsellors Association, the Energy Ombudsman and other electricity retailers in the eastern states. This will build on its existing policy, the purpose of which is to assist customers experiencing financial hardship such that they avoid disconnection.
(5) No. Synergy made an ex-gratia offer to assist the family with temporary accommodation, transport, food and clothing in the short term, on compassionate grounds.
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(3) In accordance with Synergy's procedures, the house was visited on multiple occasions by a field officer.
Synergy has a process which requires several communications with customers prior to a disconnection occurring. Synergy also advises that it will often visit customers several times before it disconnects, and during this process, Synergy can offer solutions to customers to enable them to remain connected and will refer customers to third party support groups who may also be able to assist customers. It is important customers engage with Synergy and discuss their circumstances, so Synergy can identify how it can assist those customers. Synergy cannot guess the situation customers are in - Synergy needs customers to communicate with them, so they can do everything possible to avoid disconnecting customers.
Synergy is one of only a few retailers in Australia which has field officers visit customers' houses to attempt to engage with customers and to understand what other action it can take to avoid disconnecting customers.
(4) The Minister has established a Government Utilities Essential Services Hardship Inter Agency Working Group to develop strategies and/or actions to improve identification of, and delivery and coordination of services to the community's most financially and socially disadvantaged families. The Working Group will be reporting back to the Minister for Energy before the end of year.
Synergy has also been reviewing its own Financial Hardship Policy, in consultation with organisations such as WACOSS, the Financial Counsellors Association, the Energy Ombudsman and other electricity retailers in the eastern states. This will build on its existing policy, the purpose of which is to assist customers experiencing financial hardship such that they avoid disconnection.
(5) No. Synergy made an ex-gratia offer to assist the family with temporary accommodation, transport, food and clothing in the short term, on compassionate grounds.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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